Evalyn Jacobi
Evalyn Ramona Jacobi (October 26, 1991 - November 15, 2059) was the 50th President of the United States (2049 - 2057). She was a central figure in world events during the mid-21st century, leading the United States to victory in the Third World War. A dominant leader of the Progress Party, she reconsolidated the Progressive Coalition established under President Price. Jacobi was born in 1991 to Fred Jacobi and Kamala Nayyar Jacobi in Redmond Washington. Jacobi served as a reform governor from 2041 to 2048, and promoted the enactment of programs to ease the integration of new immigrants to her state. Jacobi emerged victorious in the election of 2048 just as Japan was invading mainland China. Jacobi offered the image of strength that had been absent in the Garcia administration's final days. As World War III loomed after 2048, with the Japanese invasion of China and the aggression of Turkey, Jacobi gave strong diplomatic and financial support to China and Poland, while pursuing a policy of containment. After the Japanese attack on the Orbital Command Stations on Thanksgiving 2051 she made war on Japan and Turkey. Election of 2048 ''Main article: United States presidential election, 2048'' By 2047 Jacobi was already seen as a major contender for the nomination, but she faced strong opposition from Mid-western progressives under Senator Hank Tandy. Jacobi systematically undercut prominent Progressives who were angling for the nomination, including Secretary of State Jason Kander. Jacobi pushed to move the convention to Denver where she had strong support from the city guilds (which controlled the convention center sound system). At the convention the opposition was poorly organized, but Kander had packed the galleries. As Jacobi was giving her speech to the delegates, the loudspeakers increased the volume of audience members who began shouting "We want Jacobi... America wants Jacobi!" The delegates went wild and she was nominated by in on first ballot. In her campaign Jacobi stressed both her proven leadership experience as Governor of Washington during the Great Seattle Earthquake of 2043, and her intention to do everything possible to find peace with Japan and Turkey. She won the 2048 election with 55% of the popular vote on the first round. Presidency (2049–57) 'First term, 2049–53' Jacobi first term was dominated by a world in conflict. President Garcia had begun to increase defense spending in her second term, but Jacobi pushed for even larger defense programs in her first 100 days, particularly with the Navy and space forces. By 2050, the American military buildup was in full swing, with bipartisan support thanks to it being bundled with subsidy package. As Jacobi took a firmer stance against the Eurasian Coalition, American internationalists vehemently attacked Jacobi as a war monger. In response, Jacobi initiated NSA and IRS investigations into her more well funded critics, although no evidence of wrongdoing was uncovered. Undaunted, Jacobi pursued with her military buildup and aid packages to American Allies. On December 29, 2050, the 110th anniversary of Roosevelt's Arsenal of Democracy fireside chat, Jacobi made the case clear that the US would make itself ready to directly counter aggressive action by the Turks or Japanese should they move against American interests. 'Thanksgiving Attacks and declarations of war' Jacobi felt that an attack by the Japanese was probable – most likely in the Philippines or Korea. However, her advisor Travis Nealson predicted that attack would almost certainly be against U.S. space forces. The majority of scholars have rejected the conspiracy theory that Jacobi, or any other high government officials, knew in advance about the Japanese attack on the Orbital Defense Network. The Japanese had kept their secrets closely guarded. Senior American officials were aware that war was imminent, but they did not expect an attack on the Orbital Command Stations. On Thanksgiving morning, 2051, the Japanese struck U.S. space forces with a surprise "pebble-mob" attack, knocking out the main American Orbital Command Platforms and killing 349 American servicemen and 54 civilian contractors. The initial attack was immediately followed by a worldwide attack against American and Allied military instillation and naval vessels, bringing the death toll up to 7,149. Jacobi called for war in her famous "Retribution Speech" to Congress, in which she echoed Franklin D. Roosevelt by urging worried citizens to "have no fear" and remain optimistic despite the threats facing America. In 2052 Jacobi set up a new branch of the U.S. military, the United States Space Force, with General James E. Knight as Secretary in complete control of the Space Forces and Orbital Recon Marines; the Air Force would be absorbed into the Space Force over the next year and the Orbital Recon Marines would become their own division of the Marine Corps under the Space Force. 'Second term, 2053–57' 'Homefront' By the fall of 2053, the Military Production Agency was producing an aircraft or missile every 12 minutes; future Vice President Owen Wood lead the Strategic Resources Administration, to manage the distribution of steel, carbon, and Helium-3; the National Guard began positioning anti-missile laser batteries around bridges and manufacturing centers; Priyanka Tanner was in charge of war bond efforts and introduced microbonds that raised billions for the war effort. All of the above were added to the National Security Council and met weekly with Jacobi at the White House. 'Post-war planning' By late 2053, it was apparent that the Allies would ultimately defeat the enemy, so it became increasingly important to make high-level political decisions about the course of the war and the postwar future of Eurasia. Jacobi met with allied leaders and made it clear that she had no intention of allowing the US to be at risk from attack in space ever again, which demanded a ban on all non-US military activity in space. No attempt was made to revive the United Nations or build a successor organization; Jacobi insisted on creating regional blocs to maintain a balance of power. Death and Legacy Two years after retiring from politics, Jacobi joined a U.S. diplomatic mission to Iran to negotiate with several central Eurasian nations on the allocation of resources pertaining to the expanding Aral Sea. Jacobi had taken a very active role for a post-Presidency in diplomacy, particularly with issues concerning her actions in office. After the third day of talks, Jacobi and several other dignitaries were returning to their hotel when a roadside bomb exploded, killing Jacobi, her Chief of Staff, and translator. It was revealed by forensics that the device was actually an unexploded Turkish bomb that had sat by the side of the road unnoticed for two years. While fondly remembered as the President who led America to victory during World War III, Jacobi was not without her critics, particularly young adults who had grown up before the war. Her administration suspended habeas corpus during the war, and approved the data-mining of all domestic and foreign communications and online activity. The media was all but nationalized, and deep learning AI was used to censor seditious comments. None of this was done in secret, and Jacobi got most of this power with Congressional approval. Among the material censored by her administration was anything of Japanese origin, which made her an object of scorn among the Honda Hippies. Graffiti and flyers depicting her as a cruel oppressor of free speech were a common sight on college campuses during the war. A controversial cartoon by Corey Marshall, published shortly after the beginning of the war, depicts Uncle Sam tied to a chair with tape over his mouth, while an ugly-looking caricature of Jacobi holds up a sign reading "Fight for THEIR freedom. Don't ask about yours." The cartoon was meant as a satire of Jacobi's heavy censorship of national media during the war, which Marhsall saw not only as an attack on free speech, but as hypocritical given Jacobi's emphasis on freedom. Quotes Category:Presidents of the United States